News from the Department of “Duh”

Surgeons who stay out late drinking suffer a noticeable decline in surgical performance the next morning, new research shows.”  According to Reuters, the researchers were “quite surprised.” Similar:Source: Wenner Declined Resignation from Rolling Stone Deputy EditorAccording to a source inside Rolling Sto…Current_EventsIf You’re An English Major You Should Take a Journalism Class–Even If You Think…

Creator of Teen Sleuth Nancy Drew Dies at 96

“Who was Carolyn Keene, the pen name of the series author? It would take 50 years before fans found out that Keene was Mildred Wirt Benson, a gutsy, hard-working, fiercely independent journalist from Toledo, Ohio, with a penchant for adventure, both real and imagined.” —Creator of Teen Sleuth Nancy Drew Dies at 96 (Philadelphia Inquirer)…

Filtering as Personhood

Alex Golub notes that some weblogs are full of personal chatter, which reveals the personality of the ‘blogger.  Other weblogs (like this one) are mostly links to outside sources. “Any choice between alternatives is by definition information. The more alternatives there are, the more information is signaled in the choice.” —Filtering as PersonhoodGolublog) Similar:A former…

York Corpus Christi Play Simulator

Today is the day the medieval church celebrated the Feast of Corpus Christi (“Body of Christ”); the festivities in the town of York, England, included a massive theatrical performance, involving 300 speaking roles, which lasted from 4:30am until well after dark. —York Corpus Christi Play Simulator Similar:Edward Gorey illustrates H. G. Wells's The War of…

Why Won’t We Read the Manual?

“Americans buy the most sophisticated computers, the coolest digital cameras, the most advanced automobiles, the most versatile cell phones and handheld organizers, and then . . . and then we forget, or decline, or flat out refuse, to read the directions.” Caroline E. Mayer —Why Won’t We Read the Manual? (WashPost) Similar:Donald Trump Is a…

The Future of Mind Control

“The spectre of eugenics, which reached its culmination in Nazi Germany, haunts both politicians and public. The fear that the ability to monitor and select for desirable characteristics will lead to the subjugation of the undesirable—or the merely unfashionable—is well-founded.” —The Future of Mind Control (Economist) Similar:Lessons (#StarTrek #TNG Rewatch, Season 6, Episode 19) Picard…

Novels Lose out to Newspapers

“The average [U.K.] reader spends 17 minutes a day reading a newspaper, compared to 11 minutes on a novel. They spend a further seven minutes online, six minutes on non-fiction, five minutes with a magazine, and two minutes looking up things they did not understand in a reference book.” —Novels Lose out to Newspapers (Guardian)…

Doors I Touched Today

“I photographed every door or drawer knob, handle, or latch I touched from the time I awoke on Thursday, June 3rd. until I went to bed on Friday, June 4th.”  —Doors I Touched Today (Fluxus) Similar:How to promote your laser skin clinic effectivelyI rather miss teaching HTML and doing my…Aestheticsink: Inkle's open source scripting language…

Do Poets Matter?

“No wonder so much poetry boils down to whining over the inadequacy and immorality of the poet’s little world. No wonder that poets, when they do move at all, head right for the handiest anodyne, whether it’s cheap whisky or pop-Buddhism.” Robert Bové —Do Poets Matter? (The Texas Mercury) Similar:Julius Ceasar: The Politics of Powerhttps://youtu.be/yhAqqHQ-KNYCultureWhen…

Factual Error Found on Internet

“The Information Age was dealt a stunning blow Monday, when a factual error was discovered on the Internet. The error was found on TedsUltimateBradyBunch.com, a Brady Bunch fan site that incorrectly listed the show’s debut year as 1968, not 1969.” —Factual Error Found on Internet (The Onion) Similar:Twitter, after 10 years, hasn't been a money-makerRake-thin…

Making a pink-fur-trimmed “Hello Kitty” laptop.

More evidence of the collapse of civilization as we know it: a website offering instructions for making a pink-fur-trimmed “Hello Kitty” laptop. Similar:Technical and Literary Writing: What’s the difference? « DekonztruktschonIn an advanced new media class, I’m intr…AcademiaSTEM Needs a New LetterCreativity alone does not foster innovat…ArtMother 3: My Mom, and MeThoughtful, powerful, personal analysis…

Is That a Supercomputer in Your Jammies?

“Last week’s column about the death of my son Chase from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome set off something of a chain reaction across the Net… by the time I awoke on Thursday, words of support were already in from readers in Japan, Australia, India, and Kuwait.” Robert X. Cringely —Is That a Supercomputer in Your…

Physics + Dirac = poetry

“Whereas poetry uses highly-charged combinations of words, equations are the most succinct descriptions of the aspect of reality they describe. Dirac’s most famous poem enabled him successfully to predict the existence of antimatter…” Graham Farmelo  —Physics + Dirac = poetry (Guardian) Similar:Journalists who are doing their job by reporting fairly on a controversial topic often…

Typecasting

Have you ever been watching a movie, with sumptuous re-creations of period costumes, hair, and furniture — only to be annoyed by the anachronistic appearance of a modern typeface? No? Me neither, but Mark Simonson has. —Typecasting Similar:In October 2001, I was blogging about nothing, apostrophes, the anthrax scare, and Boilerp…In October 2001, I was…

Laws of Physics "May Change"

“I can’t change the laws of physics!” [44k wav] says a distraught Scotty in a classic Star Trek episode. But researchers have found evidence that suggests that the value of a fundamental “constant” has changed since the universe was young. —Laws of Physics “May Change” (BBC) Similar:How do I cite generative AI in MLA style?…

Alternative Medicine is Practically Mainstream

(Guardian): Treating earache:  2000BC: Here, eat this root.  1000AD: That root is heathen. Here, say this prayer. 1850AD: Prayer is superstition. Here, drink this potion. 1940AD: That potion is snake oil. Here, swallow this pill. 1985AD: That pill is ineffective. Here, take this antibiotic. 2000AD: That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root. —Alternative Medicine…

Kingdomality

A confusing name for an amusing medieval personality test. What kind of vocation would have suited you back in ye olde days? —KingdomalityCareer Management International) Similar:He Googles for some random memes to connect with weak prose, but what he does next is shoc…BusinessHow to promote your laser skin clinic effectivelyI rather miss teaching HTML and…

Luncheon of the Boating Party

Why choose Renoir’s “Luncheon of the Boating Party” as a subject for poetry?  Stewart Conn says “The painting chose me.” —Luncheon of the Boating Party Similar:Obama vs. Romney D&D Smack-Down at NYC GalleryThis week, if you head to the Allegra La…AestheticsOld English Has a Serious Image ProblemThis fall I will be teaching Shakespeare…AcademiaCarolyn is in…

Weblogs and Blogging

“Some weblogs wither once the first flush of enthusiasm passes, while others go from strength to strength, attracting contributions and feedback from experts and interested Internet surfers.” Laurel A. Clyde —Weblogs and Blogging (FreePint) One of her examples looks very familiar… Similar:We are in a golden age for journalismMost handwringing about the state of jou…BusinessDr…